ARTIST |
Robert Rose (American) |
---|---|
Title | Elixir Vitae |
Category | Ceramics |
Materials | Original, hand built, ceramic vessel, with an entirely original pictorial narrative |
Size | h: 11 x w: 10 x d: 5 in / h: 27.9 x w: 25.4 x d: 12.7 cm |
Style | Contemporary |
Price | $4,500.00. MLA Gallery offers competitive pricing, well below retail, on all of our inventory. Please inquire. |
Gallery | 323-744-7550 |
Description
This ceramic is another from the recent works of Robert Rose. Both the vessel, and all of the art, are entirely original, and entirely from the mind of this profoundly imaginative surrealist artist. The finish is luminous. The narrative is sublime. In the artists' own words, this will give the viewer a sense of the symbology of this outstanding work:
‘Elixur Vita’, Latin for elixur of life, Man’s fixation on a formula or a secrete source that one could drink and would bring eternal lasting life. This legend dates back many centuries even before Alexander the Great, where a Middle-eastern sage named Al- Khidr speaks of a source of water which can restore all of ones youth and vitality. Over the centuries the legend grows and is adapted by many cultures, the most infamous story of which was the great Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon’s quest for ‘ The Fountain of Youth’.
Although many hundreds of years have passed since Leon’s quest and the likeliness of such a fountain seams ever more unrealistic one can only wonder if some where in a laboratory, scientists being funded by the large pharmaceutical companies aren’t hard at work attempting to achieve what Al-Khidr spoke of so long ago. In these modern times medical advancements have certainly brought us nearer to that possibility then ever before, but, if we were to achieve such success, how would we handle such power. As profound of an advancement as it would be, it still would be a double edge sword.
Surrealism is a wonderful artistic medium for exploring the often bizarre and unexplainable inner being, and also so many aspects of human nature. It allows a playful, visual feast of imagination, one that we normally see only in dreams. As in dreams many events are representations of our own personal reality. Other aspects are with all likelihood, just simply the playful mind , free from the constraints of the very structured world we consciously live in, for the better part of each day. Sometimes in my art I like to bring that playful side of the subconscious mind into the composition, weaving it together with aspects of our conscious (factual) world. Surrealism is a great opportunity for that menagerie of the human psyche, to be expressed. Ironically, when one studies physics and gains knowledge of just how things really work in the physical world, the lines between dream, fantasy, and reality get very blurry. It is quite fascinating, how deceptive the mechanics of our physical ability to perceive reality, really are. For example, when you observe a plane landing it is traveling at nearly 160 mph, yet it looks like its putting along at just 40 mph. That is just one example of the flawed nature of our senses, and the way they allow us to perceive and interpret the world around us. That overlooked truth is a bit surreal, and I find it interesting enough to portray in certain aspects of my art. Life is not always as we perceive it to be. Often, in our interactions with others, we only see what we want to see, and hear what we want to hear, but always there is the phenomenon of misperception at play. In our attempts to understand life and what it means to us, can we ever really be certain of 'reality' or "the Truth Within"?. The yin & yang of our own reality and dreams. On some levels, our own dreams can be as vast, magnificent, and as mysterious as the physical world is. Sometimes even more. Kind of a startling story in, and of itself".
Biography
2003 Feats of Clay, annual national contest; juried exhibit/ by Richard Notkin. Lincoln, CA., received honorable mention
‘Malloy Stevenson Award’ commissioned award plaques ABF
Exhibitions
2012 Taiwan Cermamics Biennale
2011 MLA Gallery, Fall Brewery Artwalk, Los Angeles, CA
2010 Ferrin Gallery, Pittfield, PA
2010 Kolva Sullivan Gallery, Spokane, WA
2010 Nude SOFA Chicago, Ferrin Gallery, Perimeter Gallery, Chicago, IL
2010 ABF Resident Exhibition, Archie Bray Foundation, Helena, MT
2010 New Millenium in Clay, SNC, Incline Village, NV
2009 Strange Brew, National Ceramic Research Center, Tempe, AZ
2009 Mindy Solomon Gallery, Palm Beach, FL
2009 CERAMICS OF THE AMERICAS, MLA Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2007 Garth Clark Gallery, New York, NY
2007 DeYoung Art Museum, San Francisco, CA.
2007 National Museum of Ceramic Research, Tempe, AZ.
2006 Erotic ART in Ceramics , juried show by Sandy Besser, hosted by Santa Fe Clay.
2006 Garth Clark Gallery, New York, NY
2005 Arnot Art Museum, Elmira ,NY. Bi-annual exhibition 2005 “Re-presenting representation"
2005 Garth Clark Gallery, New York, NY
2003 Feats of Clay, annual national contest; juried exhibit/ by Richard Notkin. Lincoln, CA.
2003 CCACA; California Conference for the Advancement of Ceramic Arts; hosted by John Natsulouse Gallery, Davis, CA.
2001 SF State group show, Forms and Figures
2000 CCACA; California Conference for the Advancement of Ceramic Arts; hosted by John Natsulouse Gallery, Davis, CA.
1999 Dorthy Weiss Gallery, San Francisco, CA
1998 Dorthy Weiss Gallery, San Francisco, CA
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